


A Gentle Reminder

by christinchen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: hp_goldenage, M/M, Older Characters, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:06:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christinchen/pseuds/christinchen
Summary: Their dads have been together for 40 years, and for 40 years, Scorpius has kept a secret.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/James Sirius Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18
Collections: Salt and Pepper Fest 2021





	A Gentle Reminder

Sometimes little white lies, the smallest omissions to the truth could spin out of control and change everything. Scorpius watched as his father leafed through a pile of RSVP responses. The planning for the big party was in full swing. 

"Are those the last ones?" Harry asked as he carefully placed a full mug of tea next to his husband and settled into the chair across from him. 

"It should be," Draco replied. 

"I can go through and check if you want me to," Scorpius found himself offering. 

"Perfect. Thank you," was the absentminded reply he received. Scorpius knew not to take it personally. He had long gotten used to the fact that when Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were in the same room the rest of the world ceased to exist to them. People tended to think it was sweet that they were still as smitten with each other 40 years on as they had been the day they’d gotten married. 

Scorpius preferred to let people keep their mental image of the cute, old couple they had and didn’t tell how they were when they argued. Because that was one thing that he didn’t think had changed in the entire 60 years they had known each other either. 

People liked to express how special the love must be between his father and Harry, a Malfoy and a Potter, to last this long. And Scorpius would dig his perfectly manicured nails into the palms of his hands, leaving red, painful indents. But he would smile and nod and tell them that yes, it must be special indeed to overcome such animosity. 

Later under the cover of the darkness of the night, his lover would take his hands into his own, kiss the skin where it was red, where he had drawn blood. Scorpius never bothered with healing charms anymore, it felt good to know that his pain was visible even if just to one person. He needed his lover to see his pain, even when the world would remain oblivious to it. He knew it was selfish of him to ask for comfort when they were both so invisible in the world, but some days it felt like he couldn’t breathe if he didn’t. 

"Hello love," a voice called as soon as he entered the small one bedroom flat. Scorpius let out a soft sigh of relief as he slipped off his cloak and loosened his tie around his neck, his fingers swiftly unbuttoned his waistcoat and just a moment later a warm body pressed against his back and arms slipped around his middle.

"Hello James," he murmured as he turned in the other man’s arms and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. 

"How long can you stay?" James asked when they parted just enough to breathe, their lips brushing against each other as they spoke. 

"Till the morning," Scorpius answered quietly.

"I love it when you say that," James smiled against his lips before pressing another soft kiss to them. 

The wedding anniversary planning would continue in the morning. When the world would get to see the perfect Malfoy-Potter couple, Scorpius would stand to the side with his lover next to him and would smile when people would comment how nice it was that they got along seeing as they should be doomed to rivalry. 

"Stop thinking so much and come to bed with me," James gently tugged on his arm to pull him towards the bedroom. Scorpius loved this bed, he loved this apartment. It was small, it was in the smack middle of Muggle London, no Apparition spot anywhere near it. It was their perfect haven away from the Wizarding world. 

"I met Mrs. B on the way up," Scorpius said conversationally as he sat down on the bed to untie his shoes. 

"Hmm, let me guess: You work too much and you should eat more?" James laughed. 

"Yes, she threatened to bring over lasagna again." He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him as he watched James visibly shudder at the memory of the last time that had happened. To their neighbors they were just an ordinary middle-aged couple, with jobs that required long hours and extended overnight stays. 

They weren’t the sons of Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding world, and his loving husband Draco Malfoy, reformed Death Eater. James got to be the sports journalist that he was without his parents legacy overshadowing him and Scorpius got to be the overworked hospital worker without having to watch his every step. 

He smiled a bit when he noticed James watching him undress out of the corner of his eyes. He slowed his fingers as he slid out of his waistcoat and slung it along with his tie towards the chair in the corner of the bedroom. Then he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, one button after another. 

He chuckled softly when he got about halfway down his shirt before hands were covering his own, working the remaining buttons open in a matter of seconds. 

"Impatient much?" Scorpius asked grinning. 

"I have all the patience in the world, you’re just being a tease," was the reply he got as James settled himself between his knees. 

He let himself be kissed and pressed back into the mattress, let James take off the rest of his clothing and tangle their bodies against each other underneath the sheets. 

Scorpius tucked his face into James’ shoulder and sighed. He enjoyed these rare moments he got with James, where they both got to get away from their families and their obligations. He just sometimes wished they could stay here like this forever. 

"Is Al covering for us?" he asked. 

"Yeah, we’re spending the evening at the Potter Bachelor Pad, possibly getting a bit drunk, so we’re not expected to be anywhere too early," James smirked and ran his hands gently across Scorpius’ back. 

"Oh, I see you have plans to make sure we’re sufficiently tired in the morning?" 

"Can’t have anyone doubting our alibi now, can we?" James teased and continued to run his hands all across his lover’s body. 

"No, that would be bad indeed," Scorpius agreed, gasping softly as kisses were pressed into his skin. He wound his hands into James’ hair, pulling him up to kiss him, letting their tongues slide against each other. 

He smirked softly as they parted, breathing heavily. Then he whispered a wandless spell that had James’ eyes go dark with arousal and want. Warmth and slick wetness spread between his legs as the spell worked it’s magic loosening him up. 

"Merlin I love you," James gasped out, pressing himself closer to Scorpius, lowering his body on top of his lover’s. 

"Hmmm, I know," Scorpius replied with a teasing grin, moaning softly as his lover entered him. 

"So fucking much," James continued as he slowly started to move in and out of his body with steady thrusts. 

Scorpius felt himself getting lost in the movement and touches, the pure ecstasy of pleasure only James knew how to bring him to, that came from being close to forty years with one another. 

"You're so fucking beautiful like this, Scorp."

Taking a deep steadying breath, Scorpius wrapped his arms around James’ shoulders, pulling him closer.

"So close. Merlin, James," he gasped, pressing his face into James’ neck, fighting for control. 

With an unsteady groan James started thrusting faster, harder, bringing them both closer to the edge. He leaned down capturing his lover’s mouth in a bruising kiss. 

Scorpius moaned, tightening his legs around James’ waist as he came with a breathless shout, his body clenching tightly around his lover, pulling him over the edge alongside him. They collapsed against each other, spent and exhausted. 

He curled his fingers into James’ sweat soaked hair, pulling him into another kiss, softer this time as he let James rearrange their bodies until they were curled around each other.

As his breathing slowed down Scorpius finally found the words he had been struggling with the entire evening fall from his lips. "This is gonna suck," he murmured into the darkness of the bedroom. 

"What? The wedding anniversary?" James asked quietly, pressing soft kisses to the back of his lover's neck. 

"Yeah."

"We knew that though going in."

"Yes," he agreed quietly. They had known that, had known that it would hurt to hide their relationship in such a public event, had known that they would be under much stress and scrutiny. "I just don’t think I realized how much it would suck."

It hurt so much, Scorpius concluded, because James was always the person who he could go to for comfort, who he could lean on and rely on. And at the moment there were so many things to be done, so much planning to pull off one of the largest events in the Wizarding world, they barely had time to see each other. 

James’ arms tightened around his middle, grounding him. 

"Tell me how I can make it better?"

"I have no idea," Scorpius confessed quietly. For now, here in James’ arms, he was okay. The stress of the day, of the past weeks had melted away, but he knew that in the morning it would return tenfold. He would once again put on his perfectly crafted persona of Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy, and would deal with the world, no matter how much he wanted to stay here in bed forever. 

"What do you need?"

"To belong to you." 

"You do, love. You’re mine as much as I am yours."

"Yeah, but they can’t see that. No one can see it."

"Do we really need other people to see it for it to be real?"

"No," he agreed into the darkness. "But sometimes I need to see it to know it’s real."

* * *

The big party of the wedding anniversary came. The reception went smoothly. The buffet was perfect. The dance was in full swing. Scorpius looked around the room with pride. He had done it. He had pulled it off. The perfect party for his father’s 40 year wedding anniversary. 

"May I have this dance?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. 

When they came together on the dancefloor Scorpius felt people around them part, felt their stares on them. He held himself stiffly as he danced with his lover, portraying nothing but a polite dance between their father’s children to the world. 

When their hands tangled with each other, two matching gold bands connecting with a soft clink, he couldn’t help but let the smile spread across his face, let the world melt away. The whispers washed over him and didn’t matter one bit as he danced with his husband at his side. 

He didn’t need the world to see him after all. He just needed a gentle reminder that he was seen by the one person in his world who mattered to him most.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a part of an anonymous fest and the creator will be revealed no later than March 30. Please comment here or at [our community on Dreamwidth.](https://hp-goldenage.dreamwidth.org/84690.html) Thanks! ♥


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